Hard wood flooring can be quit durable, it's just a matter of choosing the right materials. We published a blog that may help you find the right flooring for your kitchen.
http://budgetmybuild.co/flooring/a-look-at-wood-floors/

I've had hardwood floors in the kitchen for years and no problem even when I spilled a jug of oil !

I love them and have them going into the living room in a different angle. Actually love some of the wood laminates too, as they make some fantastic ones. I did have cats and had to be careful of water spilling, but using area rugs or matts work.

A well finished floor will wear perfectly well in the kitchen.

they're wonderful, and softer underfoot than tiles.

Never had a problem with staining on our maple floors in the kitchen, but they are a bit more worn than the wood elsewhere in the house because of higher traffic. That's more to do with the back door leading into the kitchen than with the fact that it's a kitchen, though. Go for it!

MS Colours has a very valid point - a "well finished" hardwood will do perfectly well in a kitchen. The question becomes, "What is well finished?"

I would question the appropriateness of a factory finished engineered hardwood in a kitchen. I am hazarding a guess that a professionally installed "raw" hardwood that is site finished is what MS Colours is pointing to.

Even though the site-finished floors have a bit more character (they do not have the same level of perfection as factory finished) once they are installed, they have the ability to wear and wear. Water is not something wood likes; so long as you get to spills inside of 2 minutes, you should be fine. Site-finished hardwoods have edges that have been sealed. This prevents water from getting between the planks and causing real damage. A factory finish can not offer this level of protection.

Kitchens will naturally have more wear in places...but that can be solved by a "buff and coat" application. A buff and coat is the "in between" maintenance a wood floor needs. A site finished hardwood can go 20 years between sanding/refinishing. But they start to show their age around 7-10 years. A buff and coat will pep up the floors and add a bit more wear coat so that the floors look good - even at the time they require the full monty (sand and refinish).

Our kitchen has hardwood (white oak) floors that are 85 years old. They were last refinished 20 years ago, and could probably use that "buff and coat" that Cancork mentions, but we've had absolutely no trouble with them--spills and all.

Great to hear!

Well we just got back from ordering supplies for our new home. At Cancork Floor Inc, they are engineered hardwood. I hope they'll be okay. I put chef's mats down in front of the sink and stove so hopefully that will help protect them. Also I will make sure to pick up ice as soon as it falls! Or any other liquid! The sample looked very nice!, I hope they hold up without a buffing for ten years.

I just read the blog from Budget My Blinds up there. It says the engineered hardwood floors do not last as long as hardwood. It also says engineered floors hold up better than the real hardwood when it comes to water and humidity, and they are also a LOT less expensive! Yay!

Hi Micki,

I quick word of advice, do NOT use mats that have rubber backing (the black stuff). I've just had to tell a very nice woman that her cork floors are ruined because she put down a rug (with a black/gray rubber backing) that caused her floor to change colour (the white cork turned "urine yellow"). She now has a permanent "yellow circle" under her kitchen table. Livid is not a strong enough word for her upset. Sadly she believes it is the cork's fault for discolouring under a rubber mat that has already caused one of her floors to discolour. Enough said.

A rubber backed mat will cause discolouration to any wood flooring finish - cork or otherwise. It will also cause discolouration to linoleum products as well. The polyurethane reacts with the rubber and things go wrong from there. Find out what is on the back of the mat. Read the information on the mat and see if it says "safe for use on wood flooring". Anything that is rubber will cause problems - no matter the colour of the rubber.

Good luck with your floors. Find out if this particular brand allows for "site-finishing" to be added after install for use in kitchens. The thickness of the hardwood veneer will tell you how many refinishes you have on that floor.

A 3mm veneer will allow you 1 refinish. A 2mm or 1 mm veneer does not allow for refinishing. A floor that is finished in "Aluminum Oxide" is almost impossible to refinish - so there is no point in asking. Aluminum Oxide does not allow for site-finishing either.

Cancork are you referring to fuhr aluminum oxide finish.

Ok I will have to ask about the 3mm veneer etc... I am bummed about the mat thing, but so glad you told me! Like I said I have the chef's mat type. Also I use these cushiony spongy types. I have lower back issues. Now what am I suppose to use?

I have had hardwood in kitchen of all my homes and I have had no problems. I use the cushy gel mat in front of sink, no problems :)

I have oak wood floors in my kitchen and I would not get them again. I cook a lot and between dogs and lots of people I have worn the finish off the floor and it will need to be refinished. As my first floor is open concept the whole first floor will need to be refinished.

Micki, I don't know why you could not put a throw rug and a matt on top. I would do that and it will not ruin your floor.

I was thinking I'd have to use a throw rug, but it may slide so we'll have to be careful. Putting a matt on top is a good idea but I'm thinking that won't stay put either. It's worth a try! Why is looking good so hard and expensive?!

There are plenty of different kinds of rug pads that aren't rubber. There is no reason to worry about this issue.

We bought a home with hardwood floors in the kitchen and they were far more worn than the rest of the floors. Water damage was apparent as well. I'm doing slate (the rusty brown and green and gold type) in my new house with greige grout. With two kids, two dogs and a cat I have to avoid the look of dirt. I will break some dishes though, no doubt!

We have painted many canvas floorcloths for kitchens. They wear extremely well and can add an artistic flair to the area.

There are all sorts of mats too. They have these great bathroom mats now that are all different colors and have Memory foam. Why not use that Micki?

Carla that sounds really pretty! We already ordered the engineered hardwood though. I've read that the engineered hardwood handles moisture much better than traditional hardwood floors do. I'm crossing my fingers!

Beech floors throughout our last home, teak floors in our current home, no mats (I hate them), never a problem. You'll be fine.

I don't like the look of mats, but I need the cushion because I have lower back pain. Someone said that mats can permanently ruin wood floors and also vinyl ( which I'll have in the bathrooms). I've had vinyl floors before in apts I used to live in, and they were also in the kitchens. I always used mats of some kind and never had a problem, but now I'm worried because someone said that, and because this time I will OWN these floors! Rugs without some kind of grip will slide but I'll have to play around with it til I find what will work.

We use wood floors quite often in kitchens, be sure to use a durable finish.
#JMKA architects